MX records: where does your e-mail arrive?

Your domain's MX records determine which server your e-mail arrives on. At WebOké, they point to your hosting package's server, for example linux2023.webawere.nl. If you use e-mail from another provider, such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, you'll need to change the MX records.

Please note: A mistake in the MX records means you'll stop receiving e-mail. DirectAdmin warns you about this too: Het wijzigen van de MX records kan resulteren in het niet kunnen ontvangen van e-mail in al uw e-mail accounts.

The MX Records page

Click MX Records in the menu under E-mail Manager, or click Modify MX Records in DNS Administration.

You'll see:

• the MX records (1). At WebOké, there are two by default, with priority 10 and 30;
• under Options, the checkbox Use this server to handle my e-mails (2). Leave this on as long as your e-mail is with WebOké;
• under MX Template (3), ready-made settings for another mail provider, with Affect Pointers underneath.

Adding an MX record

1. Click ADD RECORD.
2. Leave Name (1) blank: this makes the record apply to your domain itself.
3. Under Value (2), first enter the priority (the box with 10) followed by the mail server, with a full stop at the end.
4. Click ADD.

Priority: what can and can't you do?

The priority is a number. The lower the number, the sooner a mail server is used. If the first server isn't reachable, the sender tries the next one. In DirectAdmin, you type the priority yourself in the box before the mail server. So you can use any number your provider gives you, including 0, 1 or 5. You don't have to choose from fixed values.

• If your provider gives you a single mail server, the number doesn't matter. Use what the provider says, or 10.
• If your provider gives you several servers with different numbers, copy those exactly.
• Remove the old MX records pointing to WebOké if your e-mail is moving to another provider. Otherwise, some of your mail will still arrive with us.

Use this server to handle my e-mails

This checkbox tells the server whether your e-mail arrives at WebOké.

• On (default): your mailboxes are with us. Mail sent from our server to your own domain, for example from a contact form on your website, is delivered straight to your mailbox with us.
• Off: your e-mail is hosted elsewhere, such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. The server then forwards mail for your domain to the MX records, including mail from your own website.

Please note: If your e-mail moves to another provider but you leave this checkbox on, forms on your website and mail from other sites on the same server will never reach your new provider. If you turn the checkbox off but don't change the MX records, you won't receive any mail at all. So always do both at the same time. After making changes, click SAVE below the checkbox.

Using an MX Template

Under MX Template, you can choose from Local Default, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Zoho Mail.

• Local Default: resets the MX records to WebOké. Handy if you're switching back from another mail provider.
• Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Zoho Mail: replaces your MX records with those of the provider.

Leave Affect Pointers on if you have domain pointers that should use the same e-mail (see Domain pointers: a second domain name for the same site). Then click SAVE below the template. For step-by-step instructions on moving your e-mail to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, see Email with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, website with WebOké.

Tip: Microsoft 365 gives each domain its own mail server, such as yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com. After choosing the template, check that the MX record matches exactly what Microsoft shows in the admin centre, and adjust it with the pencil icon if needed.